How to Get Started with AI Tools in the Workplace

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Are you thinking about using artificial intelligence (AI) to help ensure your employees are being as productive as possible? This might be an issue at your company since many employees now have access to the Internet as part of their job. According to IDC Research, about 30% to 40% of Internet use by employees is not related to work. Additionally, Websense Inc. found that workers misusing the Internet cost U.S. businesses about $63 billion in lost productivity each year.

How AI can help you analyze your employees’ productivity

Instead of manually going through lengthy reports and logs of which websites employees visit and how long they stay on a page, AI can automatically monitor these types of activities:

How a worker is using the Internet so you’re alerted if someone has a pattern of surfing the Internet for personal use instead of working.

Show how employees are using their computer (for example: are they working on a spreadsheet or report versus playing games or watching videos?).

Getting started by working with a company offering IT services in SalinasCA

If your company doesn’t have the internal resources or a dedicated IT department, you can work with someone who offers IT services in Salinas CA. But prior to installing a system, you need to take one important step first.

You need to explain to your employees why you’re doing this — before you start using AI surveillance.

Prior to implementing AI to monitor your employees, you need to consider a few key issues to ensure that this type of initiative is successful and doesn’t adversely affect employee morale. While AI programs can run in the background so employees aren’t initially aware that they’re running, it’s likely that at some point they will find out that you’re using AI tools.

Unless you tell your employees in advance, you run the risk of having potential problems if you find an employee is doing something inappropriate at work that merits getting fired. If a former worker sues your company for wrongful termination, the courts might consider AI tools to be entrapment if they were deployed in secret, and you wouldn’t have grounds for firing an employee.

It’s important to tell employees that you’re monitoring Internet and computer usage to protect the company. If a worker still uses the Internet or a computer for personal or inappropriate reasons, you can take action as a result of these findings.

You could have open discussions with the workforce and arrange for meetings with human resources representatives explaining how the system works. A company may also want to set up an appeals process if employees feel they were unfairly targeted by a monitoring system.

Can AI systems adversely affect employee morale?

Many employees don’t like being watched and monitored by their company. They may feel like there’s a lack of trust between them and their employer. You need to be upfront and honest as you implement these types of tools at your workplace; otherwise, it could have a negative effect on morale.

If you try to hide the use of AI tools, it could make employees feel they are being micromanaged and that Big Brother is watching them all of the time. This could impact your ability to hire and retain employees, especially in a tough hiring environment.

You need to be very specific in explaining why you’re using this type of system at work and clearly explain the benefits — and what you’re NOT doing. It’s important to make sure employees understand the limits of these systems and what you’re looking for and why.

Can audio recording be part of an AI monitoring system?

While surveillance cameras are usually allowed at a workplace, audio recording is usually not permitted at a company. Unless both parties agree to be recorded, you’re not allowed to record a conversation. It’s considered “illegal evidence” so you couldn’t use it to take action against an employee.

How does AI surveillance differ from traditional monitoring, such as using a video camera?

Rather than having a person watch video camera footage of workers, the AI system spots inappropriate behavior. If you have a store or a warehouse, AI can help you to detect worksite theft of inventory. You’ll be alerted about this type of activity, so you can decide what action to take.

Thinking about implementing AI at your workplace and need support from IT services in SalinasCA?